A decent game with one unforgivable flaw.
I will discuss the big problem in more detail below, including suggestions for avoiding the situation, but first let's talk about the positives. Gladius is a pretty good turn-based tactics in the same genre, but not as good, as the Fire Emblem games. You control a school of gladiators, and have broad control over recruiting, equipping, and teaching skills to your group. Like most RPGs, the gladiators who fight gain experience and become powerful warriors. Gladiators who don't fight still gain a little experience but level up more slowly. The combat system uses a grid layout where gladiators can move, use magic, and perform distance and melee attacks. Battles are relatively small and short, typically 5 or fewer gladiators per team. There are a few different modes (king of the hill, break the barrels, etc.), but the modes repeat frequently. In order to progress through the game, one must complete leagues and tournaments. Each league consists of typically three to five similar battles. The main problem with the league system is that it gets repetitive.
There is a decent storyline, but nothing ground breaking. The story is told through cut scenes and short text exchanges. The story lacked the depth of a Fire Emblem story, but it was refreshing to not have to read seemingly endless pages of text.
Now for the unforgivable sin of this game. Since you typically only use 5 or fewer gladiators in each battle, several of your gladiators will see combat infrequently. As in most games of this nature, I find a set of fighters I like and I use them in just about every battle, substituting only when I want a specific ability or there are restrictions on whose allowed to fight. I made the mistake of not utilizing the main characters enough to get them to a level needed to win a battle late in the game, in which they are the only allowed fighters. Under the game-saving and fight-selection mechanics of the vast majority of the game, I could have remedied this situation by going back and fighting battles to gain experience. Unfortunately, this was a set battle that was part of the narrative, and my saved game file sends me directly into this battle without the option of trying to upgrade the main characters. Essentially, I was stuck fighting am un-winnable battle where I was outnumbered and severely outclassed. To make things worse it was one of the few battles where none of the gladiators was allowed to die. Ultimately, this game left me incredibly frustrated because my 35-hour investment didn't have any pay off.